Fifth Third eBus offers 'financial education' to Tri-State residents

EVANSVILLE - The Fifth Third Bank eBus is in the area for three days and ready to provide free assistance to any community member who seeks it.

The outreach initiative wants to "empower our community through financial education," said Stephanie Roland, Community Reinvestment Act manager for Fifth Third Bank of Southern Indiana.

"We understand that as people emerge into different stages of their lives, their financial decisions can become more complex," she said. "That's why we have developed our own signature financial empowerment program in an effort to provide access to critical information tools that individuals need to make sound financial decisions."

The bus' first day was spent at Memorial Baptist Church in Evansville.

The Rev. Adrian Brooks said he was excited to have it there.

"We've really been trying to promote this program because anything that empowers our people in these transitional times that we're in (is important)," he said. "Financial literacy is one of the critical components for stabilization of families."

The 40-foot eBus is equipped with 12 computer stations, and retail banking staff and mortgage agents from Evansville are on hand to provide free credit counseling, financial literacy and help open checking or saving accounts, among other things, Roland said.

Those who attend have the chance to receive a free personalized evaluation of finances, request a free credit report and register to win a $100 gas card.

George Cabell, a disabled veteran, went to seek help.

"I thank the lord for anything to help the poor," he said.

Representatives from Consumer Credit Counseling Services and Hope of Evansville are also available to provide homeownership and foreclosure prevention services.

When the eBus program first started in 2004, Roland said they looked at how they could help the community from a corporate viewpoint. Financial literacy is not taught in schools frequently enough, she said.

"As a financial institution, we wanted to step up to the plate and make sure that we were doing our part in order to conduct some outreach in order to make folks financially stable for their future," she said.

The bus was last in Evansville in 2007, but Roland said they aim to get it here annually. She said they've been lucky to work with grass roots agencies to "bring services to the people."

Winnecke said the traveling bus was in St. Louis last week. Today, it will be at Nativity Catholic Church, located at 3635 Pollack Ave., in Evansville. The bank will also partner with Hospitality and Outreach for Latin-Americans (H.O.L.A.) to provide some services to the Hispanic community, today.

Roland said they want to do some additional outreach for underbanked populations.

On Friday, the bus will be at H.L. Neblett Community Center at 801 West Fifth St., Owensboro, Ky.